Show your Greek gold please!!!

[nikitov]

It's really sad that Greek gold are few & far between <<not counting electrum hektes>>. There's like maybe five types that aren't stupidly rare and only like two that are even kinda affordable relatively [not for me tho -- yet] 

I had some major dental work done & more left (six cavities + 4x wisdom teeth) that'll end up costing me like $800 after "insurance" so basically I have no coin money. And my cat also had more deworming to do so that cost another chunk of money.

I'm thinking if I didn't have to spend the $900 on dental & my cat's deworming, I could've maybe afforded a worn Scythian stater (the one with the three magistrates). Although I heard it's arguably a Roman Republican coins, but idk if that's true. But I don't really like the design because it's flat, like a Roman coin. And it doesn't have a dramatic portrait, which is what I like about Greek coins. 

These days I've been really enamored by Mithradates VI Eupator staters (the cheaper Lysimachos types, not the pricey ones with actual diademed Mithradates portraits) but 95% of them are terribly unattractive because of bad die work and rusted dies. I drew a picture of one of the nicer ones I found online (in the Coinweek article about coins of Mithradates). Also, it's kinda weird just how consistently bad the die-work was on the Lysiamchos type stater of Mithradates when the die work was consistently good for his famous tetradrachm and his expensive portrait staters. And I wonder why the Mithradates portrait types weren't minted a whole lot compared to the common Lysimachos types. But I don't think I'll buy a cheap crappy one for like $1'500 because I'll inevitable be unhappy with it. If I had only $1'500 to blow on a gold coin, I'd rather buy a really nice Byzantine solidus with a portrait of Jesus or a VF common aureus with decent die-work than a rusted Lysimachos-Mithradates stater. (Do you spell it Mithr-I-dates or Mithr-A-dates? Wikipedia spells it with an "I", but CNG spells it with an "A", which makes searching his name kinda annoying in CNG's database, but then his name in Greek is spelled with an alpha so I guess CNG is actually correct (idk the ancient Greek pronunciation of his name).

I saw a sold one from Pars Coins that sold for $1'995 that was really nice. It was probably before the pandemic because if it retailed in June 2022, that same one would've had a sticker price of like $3'000 or even $4'000. 

Also, does anyone know why Pantikapaion staters are so ridiculously expensive? I see them occasionally up for auction so they don't seem all that rare but they always go for like high 5 figures or low 6 figures. 

Is there a comprehensive list of all known Greek gold coins? It seems like there were a couple of types that were widely minted or had huge hoards found (like the Baktrian Diodotus stater that almost always has a test cut) that usually sell for <$4'000 and then it jumps to these really obscure types that I never seen before and rarely see at auction that hammer for like $20'000+ and hardly any in between.

[nikitov]

feel free to show your Greek electrum too! I don't discriminate 🙂 

[Meander]

This text from Harlan Berk may serve as a basic guide to collecting Greek gold and electrum although it is hard to read due to formatting

https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/article/242-your-first-25-greek-gold-and-electrum-coins-prices-have-chan

 

[Meander]

I find the portraits on Philip II gold coinage really attractive.

KINGS OF MACEDON. Philip II, 359-336 BC. AV Stater, Pella, struck under Philip II or Alexander III, circa 340-328. Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠOY Charioteer driving biga to right, holding reins in his left hand and goad in his right; below horses, trident right.

[noname]

Sorry to hear about your dental bills and cat deworming costs, I haven't personally thought about delving into Greek gold, very pricey for sure. Lovely drawing of the Mithridates VI gold stater.

[AncientJoe]

Sorry to hear of your expenses but coins can wait! Take care of your health first.

Pantikapaion staters are an iconic type, represented by a few major varieties. There have been a fairly large number of unpedigreed, high-grade examples in the last ~10 years but prices have indeed remained strong.

I waited for the early type with uncontrolled hair which was expensive but one of my favorite coins:

Ex. Guermantes Collection (Leu 86, 5 May 2003), lot 307; Robert Jameson Collection (sold privately Dr. J. Hirsch); Grand Duke Alexander Mikailovitch Collection.

Greek gold comes in a wide range of types and styles. The types you've listed are the more common ones and do indeed show up regularly so I wouldn't be in a rush to track them down. Mithradates staters vary widely in price based on their style: art matters for Greek coins.

Here are a few more favorites from my collection, showing the range in art:

Dionysis and Hercules at Thasos:

Alexander the Great, by Philip III:

Athena/Palladium from Pergamon:

Nike/Zeus from Kyrene:

Athena/Nike on an Alexander the Great distater:

 

[DonnaML]

Absolutely gorgeous coins, @AncientJoe -- as always!

[Etcherdude]

@AncientJoe Wow! What examples of remarkable ancient gold!

Edited June 5, 2022 by Etcherdude

[kapphnwn]

Ptolemy I Av Trichryson or Pentadrachm Minted circa 294 BC Obv Diademed head of Ptolemy I right aegis knotted around neck. Rv. Eagle standing left wings folded. Svoronos 208 CPE 152 17.76 grms 28 mm Photo  by W. Hansen

This is the first of the Ptolemaic Av cartwheels. It is roughly the same weight as the Macedonian av distaters though the diameter of this coin is much broader.

[Di Nomos]

Wow, I can't compete with the gold coins shown so far, but this is my one and only gold in my collection.

A stater from Lampsakos in Mysia.  Head of menaed on the obverse and  forepart of pegasos on the reverse. The test cut reduced the value at auction, but it doesn't bother me, as I think it is very artistic and one of my favourite coins.